Down the Way [LP]

by Angus & Julia Stone

Overview

Only three years passed between the Stones' debut and this follow-up record, but the siblings seem to have aged exponentially in the interim. While 2007's A Book Like This found the two setting their own adolescence to a soundtrack of acoustic guitars and sparse percussion, Down the Way is a decidedly adult album, filled with textured arrangements and a wider array of influences. Angus and Julia handle their own production this time around, and the resulting songs jump from panoramic chamber pop -- often with a rootsy, Americana edge -- to bedroom folk songs, with both members trading off vocals and instrumental duties. Julia still sings in a soft, fairy tale voice, but her own songs are bolder than they once were, with tracks like "Hold On" taking much of their strength from the contrast between her gauzy, childlike croon and the nocturnal-sounding instruments that surround it. Even so, brother Angus gets the "most improved" award, having moved past the solo folk songs he favored on A Book Like This (although some of those show up here, too) in favor of lush, collaborative material. On "Draw Your Swords," one of the album's three tunes to stretch past six minutes, he rips into the final refrain with gusto, shouting the lyrics in a cracked baritone before adopting a Jeff Buckley-ish falsetto. Down the Way may be a bit long by 2010's standards -- there are 13 tracks here, none of which is particularly short -- but the songs are solid throughout. [Down the Way was also released on LP.] ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	04/13/2010
Label:	Nettwerk / Rca
UPC:	0067003088411
Rank:	4808

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Hold On
2. Black Crow
3. For You
4. Big Jet Plane
5. Santa Monica Dream
6. Yellow Brick Road
7. And the Boys

Disc 2

8. On the Road
9. Walk It Off
10. Hush
11. Draw Your Swords
12. I'm Not Yours
13. The Devil's Tears
14. Old Friend
15. Little Bird
16. Take You Away

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Angus & Julia Stone   Primary Artist
Clay MacDonald   Bass,Vocals (Background)
Melvin Duffy   Pedal Steel,Lap Steel Guitar
Julia Stone   Mellotron,Wurlitzer,Piano,Guitar,Vocals
Louisa Fuller   Violin
Angus Stone   Banjo,Vocals,Harmonica,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
CJ Camerieri   Trumpet
Tommy Elchmann   Piano,Mellotron
Mason Ingram   Drums
Glen Absoluin   Drums
Rob Calder   Bass
Chris Worsey   Cello
Mitchell Connelly   Drums
Kieran Kelly   Guitar (Electric)
Ian Burdge   Cello
Kimon Kirk   Bass,Vocals
Brad Albetta   Bass,Piano

Technical Credits

Julia Stone   Lyricist,Producer,Interpretation,Composer
Brad Albetta   Engineer,Producer
Sally Herbert   String Arrangements
Govinda Doyle   Producer
Angus Stone   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Interpretation
Tom Bailey   Engineer
Jon Mizrachi   Programming
Cathy Oates   Management
Alan Douches   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Angus & Julia Stone   Producer
Kieran Kelly   Mixing,Engineer,Producer